Crop Science Grow Your Career with CSSA
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Published online 19 March 2008
Published in Crop Sci 48:771-777 (2008)
© 2008 Crop Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
This Article
Right arrow Figures Only
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Karcher, D. E.
Right arrow Articles by Rush, D.
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Karcher, D. E.
Right arrow Articles by Rush, D.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Karcher, D. E.
Right arrow Articles by Rush, D.
Related Collections
Right arrow Crop Genetics
Right arrow Turfgrass

Drought Tolerance of Tall Fescue Populations Selected for High Root/Shoot Ratios and Summer Survival

Douglas E. Karchera,*, Michael D. Richardsona, Kenneth Hignightb and Debra Rushb

a Dep. of Horticulture, Univ. of Arkansas, 316 Plant Sciences Bldg., Fayetteville, AR 72701
b Nexgen Seed Research, LLC, 33725 Columbus St. SE, Albany, OR 97321-0452

* Corresponding author (karcher{at}uark.edu).

Freshwater resources for turfgrass irrigation are becoming limited. Hence, the development of drought tolerant turf cultivars will be of great value to turf managers. The objective of the following research was to evaluate the field drought tolerance of turf-type tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) entries that were selected based either on high root/shoot ratio under greenhouse conditions or under severe drought stress conditions in the field. Twelve tall fescue entries (two selected by root/shoot ratio, two selected by screening field drought tolerance, the four parents, and four standard controls) were established under a rain-out shelter, and their green turf coverage was evaluated during drought stress (irrigation withheld) and drought recovery (irrigation reapplied) events in 2003 and 2004. In both years, entries selected for high root/shoot ratio demonstrated significantly improved drought tolerance compared to their parents, whereas improved drought tolerance for field-selected entries was less consistent. Turf green-up following drought conditions was correlated to the drought tolerance of each entry, in that those cultivars that were the most drought tolerant were also the first to green up on rewatering. These results validate that selecting germplasm based on high root/shoot ratio in the greenhouse is a viable method for improving the field drought tolerance of turf-type tall fescue.

Abbreviations: DAI, days after irrigation • FS, field-selected • RS, root-selected

All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Permission for printing and for reprinting the material contained herein has been obtained by the publisher.

Received for publication May 16, 2007.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
The SCI Journals Agronomy Journal Vadose Zone Journal
Journal of Plant Registrations Soil Science Society of America Journal
Journal of Natural Resources
and Life Sciences Education		 Journal of
Environmental Quality
Copyright © 2008 by the Crop Science Society of America.